32554: Ruling on distributing food when an infant reaches the age of forty days

We have a custom and I do not know whether it is Sunnah or bid’ah. When an infant reaches the age of forty days, the family cooks a large amount of food and distributes it among relatives and neighbours. This is what we call al-tuloo’. Is this action prescribed in sharee’ah? Is it Sunnah or is it a bid’ah which we should avoid?.

Published Date: 2010-03-09

Praise be to Allaah.

What is prescribed when a child is born is for the family to
slaughter the ‘aqeeqah on his behalf, on the seventh day. Two sheep should
be slaughtered for a boy and one for a girl. The family can distribute the
meat or part of it, or they can cook it or some of it and distribute it to
family, relatives and neighbours.

If the family is unable to slaughter the ‘aqeeqah on the
seventh day, then they may do so on the fourteenth, if they cannot do that
then on the twenty-first, and if they cannot do that then on whatever day
they can after that.

See the rulings on ‘aqeeqah in the answer to question no.
20018. It is permissible to
distribute the meat of the ‘aqeeqah raw or cooked, as it says in the answer
to questions no. 26046,
8423 and
8388.

The fortieth day after birth or death is of no significance;
this is a Pharaonic custom and it is not permissible for the Muslim to seek
out this day for anything that has to do with worship.

In the answer to question no.
12552 we have quoted the comments
of Shaykh Ibn Baaz on the “arba’eeniyyah” (fortieth day ceremonies). This is
originally a Pharaonic custom which was observed by the Pharaohs before
Islam, then it spread from them and became widespread among other peoples.
It is a reprehensible innovation (bid’ah) for which there is no basis in
Islam. It is rejected by the hadeeth of the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him): “Whoever innovates anything in this matter
of ours that is not part of it will have it rejected.” Saheeh – agreed
upon.

The Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) warned us against innovations when he said: “Beware of newly-invented
matters, for every newly-invented matter is an innovation and every
innovation is a going astray.” Narrated by Abu Dawood, 4607; classed as
saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood. Al-Nasaa’i (1578) added: “And every going astray will be in Hellfire.”